


Friends Help Ease The Aches And Pains

by lightsinthefloors



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Cuddles, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sick!Spencer Reid, Sickfic, emetophobia tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:00:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25984771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightsinthefloors/pseuds/lightsinthefloors
Summary: Spencer’s not having a good day, and it’s up to two of his favorite people to make things betterPrompt: Can you please write one where Spencer is really nauseous or something? And Morgan or Garcia help him out but he’s really embarrassed? Thanks!
Relationships: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid
Comments: 12
Kudos: 161





	Friends Help Ease The Aches And Pains

The first thing that Spencer can register when he wakes up is that he does not feel well in the slightest. He hates waking up already feeling unwell, knowing it will most likely worsen throughout the day. His head is spinning the moment he sits up, and he groans out loud when he remembers Derek saying he was going to leave early. Had he been home, Spencer could at least get some early morning cuddles. Now though, he’s alone and feeling sorry for himself, sitting upright in bed and pouting for a good five minutes. After that, he drags himself out of bed, grumpily getting dressed. He purposely mopes around as much as possible now, knowing he’ll have to put on a happy face at work. Spencer is just praying to anyone that will listen that they don’t get a case today, feeling too physically unwell to perform to the best of his ability. He trudges outside in another ten minutes, inwardly moaning again when he realizes he’ll have to take the public transit to work- he had told Derek to take the car. It’s not until he sits down and the bus starts moving that Spencer realizes how nauseous he is, extremely grateful that he has a short ride. He gets off at the second stop, happily breathing in some fresh air. He’s hoping his stomach will settle down soon, not wanting to be in the way. Spencer makes a beeline for the coffee pot as soon as he gets inside, smiling softly when he feels Derek wrap an arm around his waist. 

“Hey, pretty boy. I was hoping you’d get here soon,” Derek smiles, kissing his cheek. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too. I forgot you were leaving early, didn’t expect to wake up alone,” Spencer chuckles softly, stirring sugar into his coffee. 

Derek pouts, hugging Spencer tighter. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs. 

Spencer bites back a grimace, the pressure against his waist making him feel a little worse. “Don’t be sorry. Come on, let’s get back.”

The two of them go back to their respective desks, Spencer nursing his coffee much longer than he normally would. He realizes quickly that he doesn’t like the way it sloshes around in his already upset stomach, deciding not to push it. He tries to just focus on his work, though his spinning head isn’t making it very easy. 

“Good morning, lovely people. I brought everyone bagels,” Garcia announces as she walks in, setting the bag down. 

“Thanks, baby girl. I was starving,” Derek chuckles. “Get one, Spencer. I doubt you ate at home either.”

Spencer is afraid he visibly pales, as he can feel all the blood drain from his face. He gets up and takes a bagel, knowing he’ll only raise suspicions if he denies after Derek told him to. He eats slowly, each small bite feeling like a rock in his belly. Somehow, he manages to finish it, and he tries to convince himself that it won’t come back up. It’s not long though before he feels his stomach do a flip, and he quietly excuses himself to use the bathroom. Spencer feels guilty when Garcia calls his name, holding up a finger to her. 

“Just one minute, be right back,” he mutters quickly, afraid to keep his mouth open for too long. 

Spencer walks swiftly into the bathroom, leaning against the sink with a shaky sigh. He puts one hand gingerly against his stomach, stifling a sick sounding burp into his other fist. He curls both arms around his waist, feeling hot. He really doesn’t want to be sick at work, already feeling embarrassed and upset. Spencer just wants to go home, he shouldn’t have come in the first place. His hands are shaking, and the way he can hear his stomach churning is only making things worse. How fast he’s salivating is rather unsettling, and he finds himself spitting out into the sink a few times. Spencer stills when he hears the bathroom door open, his hands still shaking. 

“Garcia, this is the men’s room,” he pants quietly, unable to hide how ill he’s feeling. 

“You’re sick,” she states worriedly, coming closer to him. “Did I make you sick? Because if it was the bagels I should tell the others.”

Spencer shakes his head, swallowing thickly at the mention of breakfast. “No, I- I felt sick before I came. My stomach just really hurts. I don’t want to be sick here,” he whimpers weakly, his voice quavering. 

“Oh, Spencer honey,” Garcia frowns, cupping his pale cheek. “I should’ve noticed that you didn’t look well. Do you want me to get Derek?”

“No, no, please don’t leave me,” Spencer begs, mortified at how childish he sounds. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to be alone and I feel so sick...” 

“Okay, I promise I won’t leave,” she assures. “Have you already gotten sick or just feel like you’re going to?”

“The second one,” Spencer sniffles, wiping his eyes. 

Garcia sighs sympathetically, running a hand through his hair. She doesn’t miss the unsettling sounds coming from his belly, but she doesn’t mention it either, wanting Spencer to relax as much as he can. She opts to text Derek instead, saying they need him. Garcia never leaves Spencer’s side, rubbing up and down his arm. She hates seeing him so upset, wishing she could take it all away. The door opens again shortly, and Derek looks at Spencer.

“Baby, what’s wrong? In the nicest way possible, you look terrible,” Derek frowns, coming to him. 

Spencer shakes his head, not wanting it to be a big deal. “I’m- I’m okay. My stomach is just a little upset-“ he starts, whimpering softly when he gets cutoff by a hiccup. 

“He’s sick,” Garcia nods. “He hasn’t thrown up yet but he said he’s been nauseous since he woke up.”

Derek sighs, not surprised that Spencer didn’t tell anyone. “Spencer, you should’ve told me. You didn’t have to come in today.”

“But it’s not a big deal,” Spencer sniffles, completely embarrassed. 

He hates that this is happening at work. Between his friends seeing this all happen and just how terrible he feels, Spencer really wishes he was somewhere else. He feels utterly humiliated when he realizes that there are tears rolling down his cheeks, earning concerned and sympathetic coos from the other two. 

“Oh, sweetness. It’s gonna be okay,” Garcia promises, rubbing his back. “Morgan, you go tell Hotch you’re gonna take Spencer home and I’ll stay here until you get back.”

Derek nods, kissing Spencer’s cheek before he leaves again. He goes straight to Hotch’s office, coming in after quietly knocking on the door. 

“Morgan, sit down,” Hotch nods. “What’s up?”

“Hey, Hotch. Look, I really need to take Reid home. I didn’t know he felt sick before he came in, but now he looks like he’s about to puke all over the bathroom floor. I’ll come back if you need me too, but he’s in no shape to drive himself home or take the bus,” Derek explains, knowing Hotch will understand. 

“Of course. So far we don’t have any cases today. If we get one and we travel far, I’ll call you. Anything local and you can stay home. Hopefully for Reid’s sake we won’t get any at all, I don’t want him feeling guilty. Tell him I hope he feels better,” Hotch tells him. 

“Thanks, man. Hopefully he’ll be better tomorrow,” Derek sighs softly. “I’m gonna get back to him now. I’ll talk to you later.”

Derek shuts the door to Hotch’s office, grabbing his and Spencer’s things on the way back. He lets himself into the bathroom again, frowning at how pale and shaky his boyfriend is. 

“I’ve got your jacket and your bag, I talked to Hotch. Today’s slow, he said we can go,” Derek says gently, waiting for him to protest. 

Spencer feels so unwell he can’t even argue. He normally would, saying how he’s fine and that there’s always work to get done. But today, he just wants to sleep this off and hopefully feel better when he wakes up. Spencer just slumps against Derek’s chest, letting the older man put his jacket on. He curls his arms protectively around his tummy as soon as he can, feeling it roil uncomfortably. 

“I hope you feel better soon, you beautiful boy,” Garcia coos, cupping his cheek. “I’ll come check on you after work if you’re up to it.”

“Thank you,” Spencer mumbles softly, eyes half lidded. 

“Thanks, princess. I’ll get him home,” Derek nods. “Call me when you get off.”

She nods, following them out of the bathroom and watching them leave. Spencer clings to Derek, wanting to get back home as soon as possible. He’s flustered and ashamed that he had to actually leave work because of this, and before he knows it, the tears start up again soon. 

“Don’t cry, sugar. We’ll be home before you know it,” Derek says softly, leading him to the car.

“I feel bad that I had to leave work. And I just feel bad in general,” Spencer whines quietly. 

“I know, I know. I’m gonna take you home,” Derek murmurs, helping him into the passenger seat. He gets into the drivers side himself, sighing softly as Spencer curls up against the window. “Just hang in there. We’ll be home soon. If you need me to stop tell me.”

Spencer nods a little, holding his stomach tight as if that were the only way to keep everything inside. He feels increasingly ill as they drive, the nausea already swishing around his stomach making him a bit carsick too. He doesn’t dare open his mouth, afraid that if he does, more than he wants to will come out. Derek keeps an eye on him, frowning as Spencer only grows more pale. Luckily, they make it home without any incidents. 

“Can we just wait a second before we go up the stairs?” Spencer asks once they’re out of the car, letting out a shuddery breath. 

Derek nods, rubbing his back. “Of course. Just relax.”

Spencer nods softly, still holding his middle as they stand. He doesn’t feel ready to go upstairs yet, so he just stays in place. He hiccups every few moments, hating the way it makes his stomach feel. Unfortunately, though inevitably, one of the hiccups turn into a gag, and before he can do anything about it, the little bit of food in Spencer’s stomach comes right back up on the sidewalk. Derek jumps back at first, not expecting it. He goes to rubbing Spencer’s back after just a second, his heart aching. 

“It’s okay, baby boy. Just let it out,” he whispers, watching Spencer breathe raggedly. 

Spencer swats him away, completely disgusted with himself for being sick outside and in front of people. “We need to go inside right now,” he whimpers quietly, feeling eyes on him. “Please, lets go.”

Derek doesn’t take it personally, seeing the horrified expression on Spencer’s face. He leads him indoors, glaring at anyone who’s still watching them. Keeping a careful hand on Spencer’s back, they make their way upstairs. Derek lets them in, leading Spencer straight to the bathroom. 

“Quick shower, then sleep,” Derek states, not wanting to draw direct attention to how Spencer managed to get sick on himself. “You’ll feel better. Did throwing up at least help calm your stomach down?”

Spencer thinks for a moment before shrugging, his eyes teary. “I don’t know. I know I won’t throw up anymore because my stomach is empty, but I still feel like I want to. It just hurts,” he sniffs softly. 

“Alright, baby. Let’s just get you rinsed off and into something cozy,” Derek murmurs, stroking his cheek. 

He turns the shower on, helping Spencer undress. Spencer just lets him, knowing that no matter how nauseous he feels, he probably won’t be sick again without anything in his stomach. He lets the hot water run over him, putting most of his weight on Derek. It doesn’t take long for him to rinse off and have Derek wash his hair, the water turning off again before too much time passes. 

“I feel a little dizzy,” Spencer whispers, his head aching. 

“I’ve got you, it’s okay,” Derek promises, wrapping him in a towel. 

They head for the bedroom, and Spencer just sits on the bed in his towel, feeling too miserable to move. Slowly, he stands up to put his pajama pants on. He keeps them low on his hips, afraid that any added pressure on his stomach will make him sick all over again. Spencer carefully lays back in bed, putting his hand back on his tummy. 

“Do you think you can try some water for me, baby?” Derek asks gently, stroking his hair. 

Spencer just shakes his head, still feeling too nauseous to even try. “Can’t. It’ll come back up,” he mumbles. 

Derek doesn’t argue, knowing he probably feels completely miserable. He lays down next to Spencer, carefully pulling him closer as not to jostle his stomach. He combs one hand through Spencer’s hair, his other one rubbing slow circles against his upset stomach. Spencer tries to relax, quiet whines escaping his throat every few moments. Derek tries his best to keep him calm, sighing relievedly when he notices Spencer had fallen asleep. He holds Spencer close as he sleeps, hoping he feels better when he wakes up. 

A few hours pass, and Spencer notices it’s dark out when he wakes up. He also notices that he’s alone, whining weakly. The bedroom door is open, and he can hear talking in the living room. Slowly, he stands up and shuffles out, a blanket wrapped around his bare shoulders. Penelope and Derek are on the couch, and they both look up at Spencer when he comes out. 

“Oh, my love, you look so pale,” Penelope frowns, beckoning him over. “I figured I’d stop by to see you. I brought some of the soup you like too.”

Spencer nods softly, sitting down between her and Derek on the couch. “Okay,” he yawns, laying his head down on her shoulder. 

Derek rubs his back, smiling softly. “Are you feeling any better?”

Spencer just shrugs, unable to tell if sleep helped or not. He’s still half asleep and his belly is bothering him, but he doesn’t feel like he’ll throw up at the moment. 

“I think since Garcia’s here, I’m gonna run to the store. We don’t have much medicine or stuff that’ll make you feel better. Is it okay if she stays with you?” Derek asks. 

Spencer thinks for a moment before nodding, knowing he won’t be long. Derek smiles, kissing the top of his head before standing. 

“I’ve got him. We’ll try some soup,” Penelope hums, stroking Spencer’s hair. “Don’t rush, we’ll be okay.”

Derek leaves after that, and the two are left on the couch. Spencer slumps against Penelope a bit more, his whole body feeling heavy. She just rubs his back and pets his hair, hoping it helps a little. 

“Can you sit up for me, honey? I think you should try and eat a little. Having something in your stomach might help,” she says softly, standing up. 

Spencer feels too worn out to argue, and he slowly sits up right and leans back against the couch. He’s definitely out of it- first of all, he would normally put up a bit of a fight if he doesn’t want something, and he would most definitely be embarrassed for not wearing a shirt while Garcia is around. Now though, he still feels half asleep, and he just wants to get better. Penelope comes back shortly with the reheated soup, sitting down with him. He takes it from her, slowly taking a spoonful. 

“There you go,” she coos, stroking his cheek. “Just take it slow.”

Spencer does, taking small bites. The soup is mostly broth anyway, but they both know it’ll help him feel better in the end. He’s able to finish the small bowl, but becomes hyper aware of how heavy it feels in his stomach, letting out a quiet groan. Spencer curls around himself, willing the soup to stay down. 

“Alright, alright. You did great,” Penelope murmurs, coaxing his head down in her lap. 

Spencer curls up close, arms wrapped around his middle. Penelope gently pulls his arms back, rubbing a soft hand over his stomach. She just hopes he can keep the soup down, knowing that if he does, he’ll most likely be better soon. Spencer relaxes under the touch after a minute, at first stiff because it’s not Derek. He soon realizes that it’s comforting, and lets himself settle down. Spencer closes his eyes and must’ve fell asleep, because the next time he opens them he’s back in bed. He looks around, but before he can get too worked up, Derek walks in. 

“Hey, baby boy. You fell asleep,” he smiles. “Penelope just left. She told me you ate the soup.”

Spencer nods slowly, remembering that he did indeed eat before. “Yeah... it was good. And I don’t feel like I’m gonna throw up,” he murmurs, rubbing his eyes. 

“Well that’s good,” Derek chuckles, sitting on the edge of the bed with him. “You don’t look as pale as before. Got some color in those cheeks now.” 

Spencer smiles softly when Derek lightly pinches his cheek, leaning into his hand. “I definitely feel a little better than earlier. Can you lay with me though?”

“Of course,” Derek nods, getting under the blankets with him. 

Spencer pulls himself close like a magnet, laying his head on Derek’s chest. He feels much better physically, but still cuddly. He tangles their legs together, humming softly. Derek rubs his side, kissing his forehead a few times. 

“Thank you for... you know, taking care of me,” Spencer whispers, blushing a little bit. 

Derek smiles, just happy that Spencer feels better. “Of course. I love you, my pretty boy.”

“I love you too,” Spencer smiles softly, nuzzling into his neck. 

The two of them stay close, Spencer feeling sleepy again and Derek feeling extra protective. He doesn’t like when Spencer’s sick or hurt, only wanting him to be happy. Luckily, the younger man seems to be content at the moment, and he’s already falling back to sleep. Derek holds him until he’s completely asleep, one hand resting on his belly. The older agent lets himself relax once he knows Spencer is okay, eventually drifting off as well. The two of them sleep, curled around each other. Spencer takes comfort in having Derek right next to him, knowing that even when he’s sick, his boyfriend will always be there for him.


End file.
